Yarn selector mechanism



3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 25, 1954 INVINTOR WALTER LARKIN Jan. 4, 1955 w. LARKIN 2,698,533

YARN SELECTOR MECHANISM Filed F'eb. 25, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 mvzn'ron WALTER LARKIN United States Patent YARN SELECTOR MECHANISM Walter Larkin, Norristown, Pa., assignor to Fidelity Machine Company, Inc., Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application February 25, 1954, Serial No. 412,511

9 Claims. (Cl. 66-144) This invention relates to yarn selector mechanism of the type used in knitting machines for selective delivery to the knitting head of yarns of different colors or characters.

Selector devices of this nature are disclosed in my prior Patents 1,624,792 and 1,841,249. They consist essentially of a set of yarn guide fingers which respectively receive the individual yarn ends of different colors or character. The yarn end passing through one of these fingers passes to the knitting head for incorporation in the knitted fabric, while the yarn ends engaged by the remaining fingers are retained by a suitable friction gripping device for substitution as required for the yarn and which at the moment is participating in the knitting operation. Each of the yarn guide fingers is movable between a normal position of rest and an alternative retracted position, in which latter position the associated yarn end is moved into the path of a pick-up arm which when advanced picks up that particular yarn end and carries it, together with the yarn end which at the moment extends to the knitting head, to a knotting device. This device severs the original yarns and joins the substitute yarn to the part of the original yarn which extends to the knitting head so that the new or substitute yarn is drawn to the knitting head for inclusion in the knitted fabric. The severed end of the originaal knitting yarn is retained in the friction gripping device with the other yarn ends for subsequent re-insertion in the knitting process as required.

The mechanism also includes an actuator for the individual yarn guide fingers which functions to move those fingers from the normal to the retracted positions and to permit their return to the normal position, and means is provided for adjusting this actuator with respect to the fingers of the set into position for operation on a selected finger for actuation of that finger, as described above, in the yarn change operation. The yarn guide fingers are mounted in parallel and in linear series and the selective adjustment of the said actautor is effected by traversing the actuator with respect to the said linear series. In the prior devices, the number of yarn guide fingers that could be incorporated in the device was limited by a necessity for keeping the traverse movement of the actuator within a reasonable range.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide a simple and practical device for materially increasing the capacity of selector mechanism of this character with respect to the maximum number of yarn ends.

A more specific object is to provide a simple and practical means whereby in a selector mechanism of the given type the number of yarn guide fingers may be materially increased without necessity for increasing the extent or range of the traverse movement of the finger actuator.

To the foregoing ends, the invention contemplates the provision of a selector mechanism of the stated type comprising in addition to the several essential elements of mechanism set forth above and comprehended in the prior devices, a means for traversing the yarn guide fingers with respect to the said actuator, so that additional fingers included in the series and which otherwise would be beyond the operative range of the actuator may be brought within said range.

The invention resides also in certain mechanical and structural details hereinafter described and illustrated in the attached drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary front view in perspective of a transfer unit made in accordance with my invention;

2,698,533 Patented Jan. 4, 1955 Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of the unit;

Fig. 3 is a top plane view of the unit;

Fig. 4 is a rear elevational view of the unit;

Fig. 5 is .a sectional view on the line 55, Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view approximately on the line 66, Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is a sectional view on the line 77, Fig. 6 and Fig. 8 is a fragmentary view in perspective illustrating details of the mechanism.

With reference to the drawings, the yarn guide fingers are designated collectively by the reference numeral 1. These fingers are, pivotally mounted at their upper ends upon a rod 2 which is secured in the top of a frame 3. This frame comprises a pair of L-shaped side members, 4 and 5 respectively, which are rigidly connected by cross bars 6 and 7, and the fingers 1 are confined between the side members 4 and 5 and form a linear parallel series within the frame. The frame 3 also comprises a transverse pin 8 which supports a set of springs 9, the lower end of each of these springs being coiled around the pin 8, as best shown in Fig. 6, and having one end anchored on the bar 7 and the other end in engagement with a flange 11 on one of the yarn guide fingers 1. The springs thereby act individually to retain the respective fingers 1 in a relatively elevated position, as shown in Fig. 1 and in solid lines in Fig. 6, in which their upper edges abut a rod 12 mounted in the lower and forward ends of the side bars 4 and 5 of the frame 3. The fingers are individually adjustable around the pivot rod 2 and against the pressure of the springs 9 to a relatively depressed or retracted position indicated in broken lines in Figs. 5 and 6. The rod 12 in the present instance carries a yarn guide member 10 through which the yarn ends are guided to the respective fingers.

The frame 3 is supported in a bracket 13, and this bracket also forms a support for traverse rod 14 which is mounted for axial sliding movement in side plates 15 and 16 of the bracket. The traverse rod 14 has secured thereto an upwardly extending arm 17 which is clamped to the rod as illustrated in Fig. 6 and the upper beaded end 18 of which closely embraces a sleeve 19 slidably mounted on a shaft 21 journalled in the side plates 15 and 16 of the bracket, as shown in Fig. 3. The beaded end 18 of the arm 17 is confined between a flange 22 on one end of the sleeve 19 and the confronting end of the hub 23 of a cam 24 which is journalled on the sleeve and is secured in place axially of the latter by the beaded end 25 of the sleeve. The cam 24 normally occupies the position in which it is shown in Fig. 6, and in this position the lower transversely rounded edge 26 of the cam is in light contact with the upper surface of the flange 11 of one of the fingers 1. If the cam is rotated clockwise as viewed in Fig. 6 it will have the effect of depressing the finger 1 with which it may at the moment he in contact, as indicated in broken lines in the aforesaid figure.

The sleeve 19 and with it the cam 24 are movable longitudinally of the shaft 21 by axial adjustment of the traverse rod 14 which as previously described is connected to the sleeve and cam by the arm 17. As hereafter described, the rod 14 in the present instance is adjustable within a limited axial range corresponding generally to the lateral space occupied by five of the fingers 1 so that, within this range of movement, the cam 24 may be brought into an aligned or operative position with respect to the fingers. Means is also provided as described below for traversing the frame 3 with the entire group of ten fingers axially of and with respect to the traverse rod 14 so as to provide for adjustment of all of the fingers 1 into the range of adjustment of the cam 24. Provision is thereby made for actuation of each of the ten fingers 1 of the set by the cam 24.

The sleeve 19 and the cam 24 are free to move angularly about the axis of and with respect to the shaft 21 so as to displace the fingers 1 as described above. To effect such angular movement of the cam, the latter is provided with an elongated opening 27 for reception of a pin 28 which extends laterally from a bevel gear element 29 attached to the shaft 21 as indicated at 31 in Fig. 7. As shown in Fig. 6, the pin 28 fits closely between the sides of the slotted opening 27 but has clearance longitudinally of the opening. The gear element 29 has attached thereto 3 a second transverse pin 32, the outer end of which is pivotally attached to a connecting rod 33. KGCiPIOCHIiOIJ or' this rod by means IOIIIHJJg no part of the present invenuon enects an oscillation of the gear element 29 and a IOCKlIlg movement or theshaft 21, and this oscillatory movement or the gear element is transmitted by the pin 2:5 to the cam 24.

As shown in rigrS, the gear element 29 meshes'with a bevelpinion 34 at oneend of a sleeve 35, saidsleeve being rotataoly supported on a pin 36'which projects-from the orablietl. 'lne sleeve 35 is connected at its opposite 7 send to a thread pick-up arm 37 which, as previously indicared, is operatlvely associated with the yarn guide fingers 1' in suchmanner that, when actuated, it will pick up the yarn end-which passes through the eyelet 38 in the end of any one of the yarn guide nngers which may have been.

displaced by the cam 24 to the depressed or retracted position. Actuation of the arm 37. 1S effected by oscillation of the gear element 29, as previously described,'th'rough the bevel gear 34 and sleeve35. The general form of the arm 37 is best shown in Fig. 2. in its operating move- ;ment', this arm oscillates in a plane normal to the axis of the pm 36. Normally, the arm 37 occupies a retracted position, shown in solid lines in Fig. 2, and its yarn pick-up movement takes place from this normal position counterclock-wise as viewed in Fig. 2. The positional relation between the pick-up arm andthe fingers 1 is shown in Figs. 2. and D, it being noted by reference to the latter figure that when the ringers are in the normal elevated position, the yarn ends, which pass through the eyelets 38 in the ends of the respective fingers, are held in a position removed laterally from the plane of oscillation of the arm 37. When the fingers. 1 are depressed, as previously described and as shown in broken lines in Fig. 5, the eyelets 3a of the fingers and hence the yarn passing therethrough, are substantiallyin the plane of oscillation of the arm 57, so that in its movement from the normal position toward the advanced andelevated position, the arm 37 will pick up the yarn of the depressed finger in its recessed extremity 39 and will carry the yarn end upwaroly. The arm 37 will also pick up the yarn which at the moment is passing from one of the fingers 1 to the knit ting head, this by reason of the fact that this particular yarn extends from theeyelet 38 of the associated finger under and upwardly over the rear face of a shield 41 which is suitably mounted in fixed position on the pin 36. The two yarns thus picked up by the arm 37 in its clockwise movement, from the normal position of Fig. 2 are 7 carried by the arm to a knotting device, designated generally by the reference numeral 42, which functions to knot the new yarn drawn up by the arm'37 to the yarn end passing at the moment to-the knitting mechanism,

and to sever the latter yarn at a point-below the 'knot,

the free end of the severed yarn being guided to the spring actuated yarn-gripping device previously mentioned and indicated at 50 in Fig. 2 wherein it is retained with .the other yarn ends passing from the several guide fingers 1. The new or substituted yarn passes to the knitting head. A knotting device of this character and the manner in which the 'yarnends are carried thereto by the assembly arm 37 is disclosedin my aforesaid United States patents and in my subsequent United States Patent 1,841,249. Since the details of the knotter and associated mechanism form no essential part of the present invention, the foregoing general description will suflice.

Actuation of the knotter in timed relation .to the other elements of the selector mechanism is effected in the present instance by a rock shaft 43 suitably supported in the bracket 13, as illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5, and having at its upper end a transverse terminal extensionor arm 44 which is operatively connected to'the knotter mechanism by way. of a pin 45. and link 46. The shaft is normally supported in an elevated inoperative positionwith respect to its actuator (not shown) by an arm 40 on the end of the rock shaft 21, and when this shaft is rocked by actuation of-the gear 29, as previously described, the arm 40 is. depressed and permits the shaft to drop into operative relation to its actuating mechanism with resulting operavtion of the knotter. A spring 51 tends to retain the arm tatably mounted on the end of the shaft 21 which projects transversely from the bracket side plate 15 The cam 4'! has a cam slot 52 in which is engaged a follower pin 53 on one end or the rod 14, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The sleeve 48 also has attached thereto a lever 54, one arm co or which is connected to a rod :6 and the other arm 57 of which is attached to the upper end of a connecting rod :6. in a conventional knitting machine installation employing-a yarn selector or yarn-changing device or' this character, the rod .56 will be operatively connected with a pattern chain for vertical reciprocation by suitable actuatmg'dogs or cams carried by the chain. The position or the cam 41 with respect to the pin 53 will be a function orthe position of the actuating rod 56 as determined at-any moment by the pattern chain. The position of the traverse rod.14 is a function of the position of the earn &7, as also is the position of the finger actutaing cam vent operation of the rod 33, but when the lever 54- is rocked by movement of the rod 56, it effects actuation of the rod 33 to rock the gear element 29 and the cam 24, as previously described, with the result that the yarn guide fingerl which occupies a position in alignment with the cam 24 is depressed, and with the further result that the pick-up arm 37 is actuated to pick up the new thread for the knotting and cutting operation described above.

it should be understood that in each cycle of the operation described above the elevation of the rod 56 byihe pattern cam results except in one circumstance, in an adjustment of the traverse rod 14 by the cam 47 to bring the cam 24 into operative position with respect to a particular 1 selected yarn guide finger; that thereafter the rod 33 is.

actuated to rock the gear .element 29 and the. cam 24 to displace the selected yarn finger downwardly and to actuate the assembly arm 37 to carry the yarn ends to the knotter device as described above; and that as soon as this cycle of operations has been completed, the parts including the cam 47 return to a normal position which they occupied at the beginning of the cycle. This return movement of the traverse'rod 14 also returns the cam 24 to a normal position of rest at one end of its range of travel. The mechanism then remains inoperative until the next cycle is initiated by a subsequent elevation of the rod 56 by the pattern cam.

The one circumstance wherein an elevation of the rod 56 by a pattern chain cam does not result in a traverse movement of the rod 14, is when the chain calls for actuation of the yarn guide finger which lies in alignment with'the cam when the parts are in the normal position of rest.- ln such'case the pin 53 will occupy the terminal portion 69 of the slot 52 and the movement of the rod 56 by the pattern cam will be sufficient to actuate the trip associated with the rod 58 but not sufficient to carry the follower pin 53 out of the end 60 of the slot. The cycle will then'be initiated but without axial movement of the rod 14 since the cam 24 is already inralignment with the selected yarn guide finger.

As previously set forth, the range of movement of the traverse camr24 is limited to a range embracing'five only of the yarn guide fingers 1. In accordance with the present invention, means is provided for traversing theframe 3-and with it the entire set' of ten yarn guide fingers so as to bring another selected five of the guide fingers into the operative range of the cam. V This finger traverse mechanism comprises in the present instance, an arm 61 which. is pivotally mounted on a pin 62 attached to line corresponding to the axis of the finger'supporting rod 2.- The side members 4 and 5 of therframe are secured to the rod 2 and the latter extends beyond the frame at each side, as shown in Fig; 4, and is provided on'each extension with a' sleeve 65 which extends slidably through suitable guide ways 66 and 67' on .the side members Hand 16 of the bracket. Thus, the; entire frame'may be adjusted from one side of the bracket-to the other, this adjustment of the frame being limited in the present instance by flanges 68 and 69 on the outer ends of the sleeves which by engagement with the outer sides of the bracket side members form stops to limit the travel of the frame in the bracket. The extent of the movement of the frame is such that at one end of its travel, the five yarn guide fingers which adjoin the opposite side of the frame lie within the aforesaid range of movement of the finger actuating cam 24; and when the frame occupies the extreme position at the other side of the bracket, the five other fingers 1 adjoining the relatively remote side of the frame lie within the range of movement of said cam. Thus, by adjustment of the frame 3 from one side to the other of the bracket, all of the yarn guide fingers may be brought within the operative range of the actuating cam 24.

Traverse of the frame and of the entire set of yarn guide fingers is effected in the present instance through the medium of an arm 71 which projects from the arm 61 for engagement at its outer end with a rod 72, this rod being operatively connected with a pattern drum operating in timed relation with the aforesaid pattern chain and carrying cams which operate in accordance with predetermined timing to elevate the rod 72. The arm 71 is maintained in engagement with the upper end of the rod 72 by action of a coil spring 73, one end of which is attached to a pin 74 at the upper end of the side plate 4 of the frame 3 and the other end of which is similarly attached to a pin 75 on the side plate of the bracket 13. This spring exerts tension tending to retain the frame 3 at the right hand side of the bracket 13 is viewed in Fig. 3 or the left hand side as viewed in Fig. 4. In this position, the frame traverse rod 72 is in a depressed position and when this rod is elevated by engagement of the lower end thereof with an actuating cam on the pattern drum, the arm 61 will be rocked to the right as viewed in Fig. 4 and the frame 3 through its connection with the arm 61 previously described will be moved against the pull of the spring 73 toward the opposite side of the bracket.

It will be apparent that the cams on the pattern drum which control the position of the frame 3 in the bracket 13 may all be of the same height corresponding to the position of the frame at the right hand side of the bracket as viewed in Fig. 4, and that under these circumstances, the frame 3 will occupy either one of two alternative positions at opposite sides respectively of the bracket. As previously explained, in one of these alternative positions, the finger actuating cam 24 will be operative with respect to the five yarn guide fingers at one end of the set; and in the other alternative position, the cam 24 will be operative in respect to the five yarn guide fingers at the opposite end of the set. It is obvious also that the actuating cams for the rod 72 may be formed so as to set the frame in operative positions intermediate the sides of the bracket in which any desired successive group of five of the yarn guide fingers will lie within the operating range of the cam 24.

The general mode of operation or" this selector mechanism is fully described in the United States patents cited above and will be understood by those familiar with the art. The provision of the device for traversing the yarn guide fingers with respect to the cam 24 affords a simple and practical method for materially increasing the number of yarn guide fingers and correspondingly increases the capacity of the device for yarn selecting and yarn change purposes.

I claim:

1. In yarn selector mechanism, a set of yarn guide fingers, yarn pick-up means, and means for moving said fingers individually to alternative operative and inoperative positions with respect to said pick-up means, said moving means comprising a finger actuating element, mechanism for traversing said element With respect to and within a limited range embracing a part only of the total number of said fingers and for positioning said element in operative positions selectively with respect to the fingers of said part, and mechanism for traversing the entire set of fingers as a unit so as to bring each of the fingers Within the range of traverse of the said actuating element.

2. In yarn selector mechanism, a set of yarn guide fingers, yarn pick-up means, and means for moving said fingers individually to alternative operative and inoperative positions with respect to said pick-up means, said moving means comprising a finger actuating element, and means including mechanism for traversing the entire set of fingers as a unit with respect to the actuating element for aligning said element selectively with said fingers.

3. Yarn selector mechanism according to claim 2 wherein the said aligning means includes also mechanism for traversing the finger actuating element with respect to the fingers.

4. Yarn selector mechanism according to claim 2 wherein the fingers are mounted in linear series in a frame, and wherein the traversing mechanism includes a support for said frame, and means for adjusting the frame to selected positions on said support along a line substantially parallel to said series.

5. Yarn selector mechanism according to claim 4 wherein the frame adjusting means comprises a spring connected to the frame and exerting a constant force tending to adjust the frame in one direction on the support, together with devices for adjusting the frame in the opposite direction against the resilient force of the spring.

6. Yarn selector mechanism according to claim 5 wherein the said frame adjusting devices comprise a lever arm pivotally mounted for angular displacement in a plane substantially parallel to the line of movement of the frame, means for operatively connecting the outer end of the lever arm to the frame, and means for angularly displacing the lever arm on said pivotal mount.

7. In yarn selector mechanism, a bracket, a frame slidably mounted in the bracket for linear adjustment from one side to the other of the bracket, a shaft journaled in the bracket parallel to the said path of linear adjustment of the frame, a cam on the shaft, a plurality of yarn guide fingers pivotally mounted in linear series in the frame in operative relation to the cam, resilient means for normally retaining the fingers in advanced positions, said fingers being adapted for displacement individually by the cam to retracted positions, resilient means for normally retaining the cam in retracted position with respect to the fingers, means for actuating the cam to retract the fingers individually, means for adjusting the cam axially of the shaft and with respect to the fingers to an extent traversing a limited group only of the linear series of fingers so as to bring the cam into operative position with respect to a selected finger within the traversed group, and means for adjusting the frame parallel to the said shaft so as to bring all of the fingers of the series selectively into the range of the said axial adjustment of the cam.

8. In yarn selector mechanism, the combination with yarn pick-up means, of a plurality of yarn guide devices including elements movable to alternative operative and inoperative positions with respect to said pick-up means, a common actuator for said devices for moving said elements, and means including mechanism for traversing said devices with respect to said actuator for bringing said actuator and the devices selectively into mutually operable relation.

9. Yarn selector mechanism according to claim 8 wherein the means for bringing the said actuator and guide devices into a mutually operative relation includes also mechanism for traversing the actuator with respect to the devices.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,232,616 Larkin Feb 18, 1941 

